Los Angeles Public Library


The Los Angeles Public Library is a public library system in Los Angeles, California, operating separate from the Los Angeles County Public Library system. The system holds more than six million volumes, and with around 19 million residents in the Greater Los Angeles area, it serves the largest metropolitan population of any public library system in the United States. The system is overseen by a Board of Library Commissioners with five members appointed by the mayor of Los Angeles in staggered terms, and operates 72 library branches throughout the city. In 1997 a local historian described it as "one of the biggest and best-regarded library systems in the nation."

History

The Los Angeles Library Association was formed in late 1872, and by early 1873, a well-stocked reading room had opened in the Downey Block at Temple and Main streets under the first librarian, John Littlefield.
The original library consisted of two rooms. The larger room was called the "Book Room," and the smaller room was called the "Conversation Room," which contained newspapers, tables, chairs, and spittoons for the chess and checkers players who gathered there.
Women were not initially involved in the conception and development of the Los Angeles Library Association. First Lady of California Maria Downey was given an honorary membership out of "courtesy," but otherwise, no women were listed in the association's founding documents, women were not represented on the board, and women were denied access to the library's reading room. However, this changed in 1876 when the association decided to implement a "Ladies Room." While this new room did not offer any books, it did provide a number of magazines and comfortable sofa and chairs for local clubwomen to use.
After Mary Foy was appointed as the first head woman librarian in 1880, her appointment was viewed as an act of charity by Mayor Toberman, who may have thought Foy to be in need of a job. Joanne Passet even posited that Foy's nomination, and librarian nominations in general, were seen as "an honorable means of assisting needy men and women in the community." This notion was mostly confirmed when Foy was replaced by Jessie Gavitt, whose economic need was deemed greater than Foy's by the board. Following Foy's appointment, the LAPL would go on to be "headed by a series of women administrators" for the next 25 years. These administrators included, Mary E. Foy, Jessie Gavitt, Lydia Prescott, Tessa Kelso, Clara Fowler, Harriet Child Wadleigh, and Mary L. Jones.
There was further speculation as to why the board decided on appointing Foy as the first head woman librarian. It may have been a political choice since she represented values that flourished in women's organizations, aiming to please the city's powerful women's clubs who may have been applying pressure. It's also suggested that Foy's nomination was a financial move; John Littlefield earned a salary of $100 while Mary Foy earned $75, which included janitorial work.
Tessa Kelso was appointed head librarian in 1889. She abolished the membership fee, increased membership from 100 to 20,000, increased the collection from 12,000 to 300,000 volumes, moved the books to open shelves, and permitted children to use the library. She set up an early system of branch libraries and moved the central library in to City Hall. She was forced out after a controversy over the library's acquisition of Jean Richepin's book La Cadet, which was considered indecent at the time.
Mary Jones, who was appointed Librarian in 1905, was fired by the library board in favor of Charles Fletcher Lummis. The only reason given for this was that the library should be run by a man, not a woman. This provoked "The Great Library War". Women in Los Angeles petitioned and marched in support of Jones but she was finally forced out; she took up a position as head of the library at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania. Lummis established several special collections, including photography, autographs, and California and Spanish history. He oversaw two moves into larger buildings, and he greatly increased use of the library through several outreach programs.
, the collection numbered 203,600. The central library was located in the "Hamburger Building at Eighth and Broadway" with plans to soon move to the "Metropolitan Building at Fifth and Broadway." The library had 22 branch "reading rooms" including two housed in Carnegie library buildings. The library had a total of 41 "branches and distribution points" at that time, and cooperated with the "playground department" to offer "branch libraries" at "the Violet Street, Slauson, Hazard, and Echo Park playgrounds, and at the Recreation Center."
Aggressive expansion and growth of the system began in the 1920s. The first building dedicated exclusively for library use opened in 1926.
On January 8, 2025, the Pacific Palisades Branch Library was destroyed in the 2025 Palisades Fire.

City librarians

  • 1873–1879: John Littlefield
  • 1879–1880: Patrick Connolly
  • 1880–1884: Mary Foy
  • 1884–1889: Jessie Gavitt
  • 1889–1889: Lydia Prescott
  • 1889–1895: Tessa Kelso
  • 1895–1897: Clara Bell Fowler
  • 1897–1900: Harriet Child Wadleigh
  • 1900–1905: Mary Letitia Jones
  • 1905–1910: Charles Fletcher Lummis
  • 1910–1911: Purd Wright
  • 1911–1933: Everett Robbins Perry
  • 1933–1947: Althea Warren
  • 1947–1969: Harold Hamill
  • 1969–1990: Wyman Jones
  • 1990–1994: Elizabeth Martinez
  • 1995–2004: Susan Goldberg Kent
  • 2004–2008: Fontayne Holmes
  • 2009–2012: Martin Gomez
  • 2012–present: John Szabo

    Central Library

The Central Library Goodhue building was constructed in 1926 and is a Downtown Los Angeles landmark. It was designed by architect Bertram Goodhue. This was his last work, because the man died suddenly in 1924. The Richard Riordan Central Library complex is the third largest public library in the United States in terms of book and periodical holdings. Originally named the Central Library, the building was first renamed in honor of the longtime president of the Board of Library Commissioners and President of the University of Southern California, Rufus B. von KleinSmid. The new wing of Central Library, completed in 1993, was named in honor of former mayor Tom Bradley. The complex was subsequently renamed in 2001 for former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, as the Richard Riordan Central Library. The building was burned out by a catastrophic fire in 1986 when a million books and many other records were damaged or totally destroyed. Arson was suspected but never proved.

Branches

Besides the Central Library in downtown Los Angeles, the system operates 72 branch locations in the city's neighborhoods. Eight of the larger branches are designated "regional branches."
No.NamePhotographAddressZip CodePhoneAreaNeighborhood ServedNotes
Benjamin Franklin2200 E. First St.90033-3902323-263-6901NortheastBoyle HeightsClosed August 2, 2025. Reopening in 2027.
Lincoln Heights2530 Workman St.90031-2322323-226-1692NortheastLincoln Heights
Pío Pico-Koreatown 694 S. Oxford Ave.90005-2872213-368-7647HollywoodKoreatown
Vernon4504 S. Central Ave.90011-3632323-234-9106Central SouthernSouth Central
Arroyo Seco6145 N. Figueroa St.90042-3565323-255-0537NortheastHighland Park/GarvanzaRegional Branch
Exposition Park3900 S. Western Ave.90062-1111323-290-3113Central SouthernExposition ParkRegional Branch
Junipero Serra4607 S. Main St.90037-2735323-234-1685Central SouthernSouth Park
Echo Park1410 W. Temple St.90026-5605213-250-7808NortheastEcho Park
San Pedro931 S. Gaffey St.90731-3606310-548-7779Central SouthernSan PedroRegional Branch
Wilmington1300 N. Avalon Blvd.90744-2639310-834-1082Central SouthernWilmington
Goldwyn Hollywood1623 Ivar Ave.90028-6304323-856-8260HollywoodHollywoodRegional Branch
John C. Fremont6121 Melrose Ave.90038-3501323-962-3521HollywoodHancock Park
Westchester-Loyola Village7114 W. Manchester Ave.90045-3509310-348-1096WesternWestchester
Vermont Square1201 W. 48th St.90037-2838323-290-7405Central SouthernVermont Square
Pacific Palisades861 Alma Real Dr.90272-3730310-459-2754WesternPacific PalisadesDestroyed by the 2025 Palisades Fire.
Donald Bruce Kaufman Brentwood11820 San Vicente Blvd.90049-5002310-575-8273WesternBrentwood
Jefferson-Vassie D. Wright2211 W. Jefferson Blvd.90018-3741323-734-8573Central SouthernJefferson Park
Malabar2801 Wabash Ave.90033-2604323-263-1497NortheastBoyle Heights
Robert Louis Stevenson803 Spence St.90023-1727323-268-4710NortheastBoyle Heights
Cahuenga4591 Santa Monica Blvd.90029-1937323-664-6418HollywoodEast Hollywood
El Sereno5226 S. Huntington Dr.90032-1704323-225-9201NortheastEl Sereno
Palms-Rancho Park2920 Overland Ave.90064-4220323-840-2142WesternPalms & Rancho Park
Van Nuys6250 Sylmar Ave.91401-2707818-756-8453East ValleyVan Nuys
Canoga Park20939 Sherman Way91303-1744818-887-0320West ValleyCanoga Park
Studio City12511 Moorpark St.91604-1372818-755-7873East ValleyStudio City
Angeles Mesa2700 W. 52nd St.90043-1953323-292-4328Central SouthernHyde Park/Leimert Park
West Los Angeles11360 Santa Monica Blvd.90025-3152310-575-8323WesternWest Los AngelesRegional Branch
Cypress Park1150 Cypress Ave.90065-1144323-224-0039NortheastCypress Park
Wilshire149 N. St. Andrews Pl.90004-4019323-957-4550HollywoodMid-Wilshire
Ascot120 W. Florence Ave.90003-1805323-759-4817Central SouthernFlorence
Will & Ariel Durant7140 W. Sunset Blvd.90046-4416323-876-2741HollywoodHollywood
Eagle Rock5027 Caspar Ave.90041-1901323-258-8078NortheastEagle RockArticle on the former building
Hyde Park-Miriam Matthews2205 W. Florence Ave.90043-5101323-750-7241WesternHyde Park
John Muir1005 W. 64th St.90044-3605323-789-4800Central SouthernVermont-Slauson
Sunland-Tujunga7771 Foothill Blvd.91042-2137818-352-4481East ValleySunland & Tujunga
Los Feliz1874 Hillhurst Ave.90027-4427323-913-4710HollywoodLos FelizThe library computer room is named after actor Leonardo DiCaprio, whose childhood home was located on the site, DiCaprio's family foundation sponsored the computer equipment.
North Hollywood Amelia Earhart5211 Tujunga Ave.91601-3119818-766-7185East ValleyNorth HollywoodRegional Branch
Mar Vista12006 Venice Blvd.90066-3810310-390-3454WesternMar Vista
Panorama City14345 Roscoe Blvd.91402-4222818-894-4071East ValleyPanorama City
Venice-Abbot Kinney501 S. Venice Blvd.90291-4201310-821-1769WesternVenice
Washington Irving4117 W. Washington Blvd.90018-1053323-734-6303HollywoodArlington Heights/Mid-City
Robertson Branch Library1719 S. Robertson Blvd.90035-4315310-840-2147WesternBeverlywood/Cheviot Hills/Pico-RobertsonClosed Saturday and open Sunday due to widespread observation of Shabbat in this neighborhood
Alma Reaves Woods-Watts10205 Compton Ave.90002-2804323-789-2850Central SouthernWatts
Atwater Village3379 Glendale Blvd.90039-1825323-664-1353HollywoodAtwater Village
Mark Twain9621 S. Figueroa St.90003-3928323-755-4088Central SouthernVermont Vista
Baldwin Hills2906 S. La Brea Ave.90016-3902323-733-1196WesternBaldwin Hills
Encino-Tarzana18231 Ventura Blvd.91356-3630818-343-1983West ValleyEncino & Tarzana
Felipe de Neve2820 W. 6th St.90057-3114213-384-7676HollywoodWestlake
Memorial4625 W. Olympic90019-1832323-938-2732HollywoodCountry Club Park
West Valley19036 Vanowen St.91335-5114818-345-9806West ValleyResedaRegional Branch
Sherman Oaks14245 Moorpark St.91423-2722818-205-9716East ValleySherman Oaks
Sun Valley7935 Vineland Ave.91352-4477818-764-1338East ValleySun Valley
Pacoima13605 Van Nuys Blvd.91331-3613818-899-5203East ValleyPacoima
Sylmar14561 Polk St.91342-4055818-367-6102East ValleySylmar
Playa Vista6400 Playa Vista Dr.90094-2168310-437-6680WesternPlaya Vista
Granada Hills10640 Petit Ave.91344-6452818-368-5687West ValleyGranada Hills
Valley Plaza12311 Vanowen St.91605-5624818-765-9251East ValleyValley Glen/North HollywoodFormerly known as Vanowen Park Branch
Woodland Hills22200 Ventura Blvd.91364-1517818-226-0017West ValleyWoodland Hills
Northridge9051 Darby Ave.91325-2743818-886-3640West ValleyNorthridge
Chatsworth21052 Devonshire St.91311-2314818-341-4276West ValleyChatsworth
Fairfax161 S. Gardner St.90036-2717323-936-6191HollywoodFairfax
Lake View Terrace12002 Osborne St.91342-7221818-890-7404East ValleyLake View Terrace
Chinatown639 N. Hill St.90012-2317213-620-0925NortheastChinatown
Little Tokyo203 S. Los Angeles St.90012-3704213-612-0525NortheastLittle Tokyo
Platt23600 Victory Blvd.91367-1349818-340-9386West ValleyWest Hills
Mid-Valley Regional16244 Nordhoff St.91343-3806818-895-3650West ValleyNorth HillsRegional Branch
Porter Ranch11371 Tampa Ave.91326-1729818-360-5706West ValleyPorter Ranch
Harbor City-Harbor Gateway24000 S. Western Ave.90710-1741310-534-9520Central SouthernHarbor City & Harbor Gateway
Edendale2011 W. Sunset Blvd.90026-3122213-207-3000NortheastEcho Park
Pico-Union1030 S. Alvarado St.90006-3712213-368-7545HollywoodPico-Union
Westwood1246 Glendon Ave.90024-4914310-474-1739WesternWestwood
Silver Lake2411 Glendale Blvd.90039-3217323-913-7451NortheastSilver LakeClosed July 28, 2025. Reopening in Spring 2026.